On Tuesday, youth services folks from IFLS and Wisconsin Valley Library System libraries had a joint virtual check-in to de-brief summer wins and losses.  It was fun to work with my colleague Kristie Hauer from WVLS on this project!  We tried a new format, breaking into breakout rooms with the option of varying topics.  But it turns out what everyone wanted to discuss was Summer Program Hits and Misses, so that is what each group discussed.  People enjoyed increasing the brain trust, and breaking into smaller groups to discuss made it easier to make sure everyone had a chance to share their ideas.  Here are some notes from the wrap-up discussion with the whole group.

Summer Hits:

• Partnerships!  There was general agreement that partnering creates goodwill, helps you reach a larger audience, and can make programs less expensive.
  • Partnering with the high school for a program at their climbing wall for an adventurous program that included glowsticks and balloons
  • Work with the county health department and county extension to provide programs–they have information they want to share and have some fun ways to do it!
  • Wausau Woodchucks baseball team has a reading program that libraries can work with.  Are there any other local (or somewhat local) entities that you can work with to create reading excitement?
  • One library had a party to unveil a storywalk at a local mini-golf course, with golfing afterwards
  • Network with community members–you might find someone with something to share.  Elizabeth from Deer Park found an author to present that way.
  • Some libraries promoted/participated in the Kwik Books program with Kwik Trip.
• Scavenger hunts, self-directed programs, and take-home kits continue to be a great option for families!  Some libraries are seeing much more participation in programs that don’t have a set time.  Offering people flexibility seems to be a great theme.
• In Rice Lake, they had great luck with circulating Yoto Kits–Yoto is an audiobook player, books come loaded onto cards.  These were very popular and work well for young kids especially in an age where CD players and technology are fading away.
• Animal programs seem to be a consistent win for most libraries in terms of attracting an enthusiastic crowd.   In some communities magicians were also a big draw.
• In Baldwin, they made a switch to home-grown, book-themed programs after noticing that turn-out for hired performers was dwindling.

Summer Misses:

• In some libraries, crafts were hit OR miss–depending on the craft.  Some just didn’t draw a crowd.  The coaster project from the CSLP manual was a hit in several libraries, several others from the manual didn’t attract a crowd.
• In some libraries, bringing musicians was not a big draw (though several libraries had a lot of success!)
• Programs that need a lot of time, preparation, or participation from grownups didn’t have as much participation this year in some libraries.  That included some reading encouragement programs.  Keeping it simple is important!

A few favorite performers shared:

• Wesley Waffles
• Creature Teacher
• Lauren Sohre did an artist talk for teens
• Snake Discovery
• Magic Norm
• Bruce the Bug Guy
• Mischief and Magic
• Wild Rivers Conservancy (friends group of St. Croix National Scenic Riverway)
• Dragon Training Academy
• Star Lab
• Tom Pease
• Raptor Education Group Inc
• David Landau